TERRY
by
THORNTON BUTTERWORTH LIMITED
15, BEDFORD STREET, LONDON, W.C. 2
First Published—1927
By the Same Author:
THE PASSIONATE YEAR
THE DAWN OF RECKONING
THE MEADOWS OF THE MOON
This is a work of fiction, and all the characters in the book are drawnfrom the author's imagination. Care has been taken to avoid the use ofnames or titles belonging to living persons, and if any such names ortitles have been used, this has been done inadvertently and no referenceto such person or persons is intended.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
TERRY
CHAPTER ONE
I
I FIRST met him outside the Tube Station atHampstead; he had travelled on my train, and I had noticed himparticularly because, like me, he was wearing a rather shabby overcoatover a dress-suit. At the corner of Rosslyn Hill I went into a shop forsome tobacco, and when I came out he was waiting for me. He asked me ina rather shy voice if I could direct him to the End House.
I told him that I could, and that since I was going to the End Housemyself he had better come with me. We walked quite a long way withoutsaying a word. Every now and then as we neared lamp-posts orbrilliantly-lit shops I glanced sideways at him, and each time he waslooking grimly ahead, as if life were a tremendous ordeal. He was rathergood-looking, in a restrained sort of way; tall, well-proportioned,fair-haired and blue-eyed, he had all the attributes of the matinee idolexcept that he didn't look like one. Towards the top of Heath Street Itried to get him into conversation. "I suppose we're both guests atSevern's dinner-party to-night?" I remarked. "I suppose so," he answeredrather gloomily, and then suddenly, with a sort of shy vehemence, headded: "I hate dinner-parties."
"Oh, but you won't hate this one," I assured him. "Severn's people arealways interesting.... By the way, haven't you been before?"
"No. I didn't meet Severn till last week—didn't particularly want to,either. Somebody introduced us at the College—just casually, that wasall—and then, a couple of days later, he sent me this invitation."
"Just what he would do. But you needn't worry—you won't bebored."
He answered, with heavy despair: "I shall be worse than bored."
And he was. It would have been funny if it hadn't been rather pathetic.Severn had just won Manchester South in a bye-election, and that, nodoubt, gave the part